1. Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a sporting and exercising device having an upper foot-receiving portion, and a lower spring portion including an upwardly arched upper spring layer, a downwardly arched lower spring layer, and an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member.
2. Brief description of the prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,148 granted to Denis Naville on Jul. 1st, 1997 describes a sporting and exercising device comprising an upper foot-receiving portion and a lower spring portion. The spring portion consists of an upper spring layer arched upwardly, a lower spring layer arched downwardly, and an intermediate elastic plastic strap. A first end of the plastic strap is connected to both a first end of the upper spring layer and a first end of the lower spring layer, and a second end of the plastic strap is connected to both a second end of the upper spring layer and a second end of the lower spring layer. First and second resilient shock absorbing bodies are mounted longitudinally spaced apart from each other on the top face of the plastic strap. Similarly, third and fourth resilient shock absorbing bodies are mounted longitudinally spaced apart from each other on the bottom face of the plastic strap. The resilient shock absorbing bodies prevent the spring portion to collapse after a certain deformation by compression has been reached.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for mounting shock absorbing bodies on an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member having an adjustable resistance to tension.
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of mounting a resilient shock absorbing body on a generally flat member made of substantially elastic material. According to this method, an opening having a peripheral contour is made in the generally flat member, and a needle extending across the opening from the peripheral contour is formed in the substantially elastic material of the generally flat member. In the shock absorbing body are made an annular groove and a hole opening in the annular groove for receiving the needle. The needle is inserted in the hole of the shock absorbing body and, then, the annular groove of the shock absorbing body is positioned on the peripheral contour of the opening.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the method of the invention:
a first annular lip is formed on one side of the annular groove and a second annular lip on the other side of the annular groove of the shock absorbing body; and
a first face of the generally flat member is recessed around the opening to receive the first annular lip, and a second face of the generally flat member is recessed around the opening to receive the second annular lip.
The present invention also relates to a generally flat member of substantially elastic material capable of receiving a resilient shock absorbing body formed with an annular groove and a hole which opens in the annular groove. The generally flat member comprises an opening having a peripheral contour for receiving the annular groove of the shock absorbing body, and a needle formed in the substantially elastic material of the generally flat member. This needle extends across the opening from the peripheral contour for insertion in the hole of the shock absorbing body.
The present invention is further concerned with a resilient shock absorbing body capable of being mounted on a generally flat and substantially elastic member formed with an opening having a peripheral contour and a needle extending across the opening from the peripheral contour of this opening. The resilient shock absorbing body comprises an annular groove to receive the peripheral contour of the opening, and a hole which opens in the annular groove for receiving the needle.
Still further in accordance with the invention, there is provided a sporting and exercising device comprising an upper foot-receiving portion, and a lower spring portion fastened to the foot-receiving portion and comprising (a) an upper spring layer arched upwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, (b) a lower spring layer arched downwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, (c) an intermediate, generally flat elongate member made of substantially elastic material and having first and second opposite ends, (d) a first connecting member for connecting the first end of the intermediate member to both the first ends of the upper and lower spring layers, and ( e) a second connecting member for connecting the second end of the intermediate member to both the second ends of the upper and lower spring layers. The improvement of the sporting and exercising device comprises:
the intermediate member having first and second, longitudinally spaced apart openings each having a peripheral contour, a first needle made in the substantially elastic material and extending across the first opening from the peripheral contour of said first opening, and a second needle made in the substantially elastic material and extending across the second opening from the peripheral contour of the second opening;
a first resilient shock absorbing body having a first annular groove for receiving the peripheral contour of the first opening, a first hole which opens in the first annular groove for receiving the first needle, a first protuberance extending toward the upper spring layer, and a second protuberance extending toward the lower spring layer; and
a second resilient shock absorbing body having a second annular groove for receiving the peripheral contour of the second opening, a second hole which opens in the second annular groove for receiving the second needle, a third protuberance extending toward the upper spring layer, and a fourth protuberance extending toward the lower spring layer.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of this sporting and exercising device:
the first needle extends from the peripheral contour of the first opening toward the first connecting member, and the second needle extends from the peripheral contour of the second opening toward the second connecting member;
the first and second openings are adjacent to the first and second ends of the intermediate members, respectively;
the first opening is generally rectangular with rounded comers, the peripheral contour of the first opening comprises one side opposite to the first connecting member, and the first needle extends from the center of this side generally centrally of the first opening toward the first connecting member;
the second opening is generally rectangular with rounded comers, the peripheral contour of the second opening comprises one side opposite to the second connecting member, and the second needle extends from the center of this side of the peripheral contour of the second opening generally centrally of the second opening toward the second connecting member;
the intermediate member has a longitudinal axis and is lying into a first plane, each protuberance of the first and second shock absorbing bodies has a trapezoidal cross section in a second plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate member, and a second generally semielliptical cross section in a third plane perpendicular to both the first and second planes; and
the intermediate member comprises a central section made of at least one helical spring, and two spaced apart tongues interconnected by the helical spring(s), and wherein at least one of the two spaced apart tongues comprises a set of longitudinally spaced apart holes for hooking one end of each helical spring whereby the tension in the helical spring can be changed by changing the hole of the set to which the end of the helical spring is hooked.
According to the invention, there is provided a generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member comprising first and second opposite ends, and a central section formed of a combination of at least one helical spring and at least one substantially elastic strip. These at least one helical spring and at least one substantially elastic strip are laterally adjacent to each other. According to a preferred embodiment, the central section comprises two outer, lateral and generally elastic strips and a central helical spring.
Also in accordance with the subject invention, there is provided a generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member comprising first and second opposite ends and a central section formed of separate, laterally adjacent strips. At least one of these strips can be cut to adjust the resistance of the generally flat and substantially elastic member to tension.
According to a preferred embodiment, the central section comprises three separate, laterally adjacent strips including two outer strips and a central strip interposed between the two outer strips. Also, the central strip is narrower than, is wider than or has the same width as the outer strips.
An aspect of the present invention is concerned with a a sporting and exercising device comprising an upper foot-receiving portion, and a lower spring portion fastened to the foot-receiving portion and comprising ( a) an upper spring layer arched upwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, ( b) a lower spring layer arched downwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, ( c) an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member having first and second opposite ends, ( d) a first connecting member for connecting the first end of the intermediate member to both the first ends of the upper and lower spring layers, and ( e) a second connecting member for connecting the second end of the intermediate member to both the second ends of the upper and lower spring layers. According to the invention, the intermediate member has a central section formed of a combination of at least one helical spring and at least one substantially elastic strip, these at least one helical spring and at least one substantially elastic strip being laterally adjacent to each other.
Advantageously, the central section comprises two outer, lateral and generally elastic strips and a central helical spring.
The present invention still further relates to a sporting and exercising device comprising an upper foot-receiving portion, and a lower spring portion fastened to the foot-receiving portion and comprising ( a) an upper spring layer arched upwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, ( b) a lower spring layer arched downwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, ( c) an intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member having first and second opposite ends, ( d) a first connecting member for connecting the first end of the intermediate member to both the first ends of the upper and lower spring layers, and ( e) a second connecting member for connecting the second end of the intermediate member to both the second ends of the upper and lower spring layers. The improvement in this sporting and exercising device comprises the intermediate member provided with a central section formed of separate, laterally adjacent strips which can be separately cut to adjust the resistance of the intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member to tension in relation to the weight of a user of the sporting and exercising device.
Preferably:
the intermediate, generally flat and substantially elastic elongate member comprises first and second longitudinal edge surfaces, a first portion between the first opening and the first longitudinal edge surface, a second portion between the first opening and the second longitudinal edge surface, a third portion between the second opening and the first longitudinal edge surface, and a fourth portion between the second opening and the second longitudinal edge surface; and
a first one of the two outer strips is aligned with the first and third portions and the second one of the two outer strips is aligned with the second and fourth portions to prevent any concentration of stresses in the intermediate member around the first and second openings.
The present invention still further relates to a sporting and exercising device comprising an upper foot-receiving portion, and a lower spring portion comprising ( a) an upper spring layer arched upwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, (b) a lower spring layer arched downwardly and comprising first and second opposite ends, (c) an intermediate, substantially elastic elongate member having a first end connected to both the first end of the upper spring layer and the first end of the lower spring layer, and a second end connected to both the second end of the upper spring layer and the second end of the lower spring layer. According to the invention, this device comprises a flexible fastening piece for connecting the upper foot-receiving portion to the upper spring layer. The flexible fastening piece flexes to enable relative movement between the foot-receiving portion and the upper spring layer.
Preferably, ( a) the flexible fastening piece comprises first and second side plate members with first and second inner faces, respectively, ( b) the upper spring layer comprises first and second side edge faces, and ( c) the sporting and exercising device further comprises a mortise-and-tenon structure for mounting the flexible fastening piece to the upper spring layer, this mortise-and-tenon structure comprising:
a first groove on the first inner face, this first groove having an open end;
a second groove on the second inner face, this second groove having an open end;
a first tab protruding from the first side edge face; and
a second tab protruding from the second side edge face;
wherein the first and second tabs are slid in the first and second grooves for mounting the flexible fastening piece to the upper spring layer.
The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non restrictive description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.